1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to percussion instruments, and more specifically to a percussion or drum set that can be used for practicing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Musicians need to practice their instruments in order to maintain their skills, to improve their techniques, to learn new songs, and the like. The need to practice is not limited to woodwind, brass, and stringed instruments; percussionists (drummers) need to practice their craft as well. While precise tonal quality is not of concern to a percussionist, she must practice speed, agility, and various combinations of rhythms.
However important practicing may be for a percussionist, there are many obstacles in her path. First, a drum set is extremely bulky, heavy, and difficult to set up. Consequently, a typical set occupies a lot of space and is not very portable. Also, drums are among the loudest instruments in a band. A person practicing on a drum set in a residence can be an unpleasant experience for those living in the same or nearby residences.
Several previous devices have been developed to enable the drummer to practice her craft without disturbing the neighbors. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,102,235 to Le Masters and U.S. Pat No. 4,589,323 to Belli et al. teach muffler pads which can be placed on drums and cymbals to reduce the volume of sound produced when the drum/cymbal is struck. While these devices limit the sound produced when practicing, they do not alleviate the space and portability problems of a conventional drum set.
It is also known to provide drummers, particularly students, a practice block. The typical practice block is made of wood and includes a rubber sheet disposed on one surface of the block. The rubber absorbs most of the impact of the drumstick, and the block is generally small enough to fit into a backpack. This standard practice block provides for relatively quiet practicing on a portable device. However, the block is a small single piece of wood and has several drawbacks. Practicing on the block can give a person physical strength, but it cannot provide the drummer with the physical layout of a drum set. Consequently, practicing on a block provides the drummer with a limited amount of coordination and fails to teach the drummer about the relative positions of the pieces of a drum set. Further, the practice block makes little or no sound when struck, or at best makes one type of sound. As a result, practicing on the block can be extremely boring.
A modified practice block is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,480 to Giarratano. It provides three sections of striking surface in a foldable assembly. The sections are all the same size; one section may be propped up by a detachable leg to place its striking surface at an angle to the other striking surfaces. The Giarratano device is portable, but still fails to provide a drum kit that sufficiently resembles a drum set in physical layout. Also, all of the striking surfaces are made from the same sound dampening material. Thus, all of the sounds generated by practicing on the device will be the same; it is just as boring a device to practice with as a wood block. A student will also be unable to develop combinations of different sounds or become familiar with the various sounds that different drums make. Moreover, the leg which props up one of the surfaces of the pad is easily detachable. While this is convenient from a portability standpoint, the leg will have a tendency to become dislodged when the device is being practiced upon, particularly when the student is practicing vigorously. The device offers little flexibility in configuration as well.